Island Havens – Bridgetown to Miami

Discover the many beautiful aspects of this island, from its rugged Atlantic coastline to its beautiful Great Houses, cane fields, exquisite gardens and glorious beaches. See the island’s spectacular underwater treasures on your own snorkeling expedition.

You can smell the cinnamon and nutmeg well before you dock in St. George’s; a tour of the spice estates on Grenada is almost mandatory. You can also take in a visit to a distillery to see how the island’s sugarcane juice is first turned into syrup and then into rum. A ferry trip to sister island Carriacou offers fantastic diving opportunities, and romantics can climb the waterfalls or just relax on the sun-kissed beaches.

Known as the “City of Arches,” this town is filled with old world charm and accented with rich, rolling green hills. Kingstown’s cenotaph is a beautiful monument atop a granite pedestal that honors soldiers who died in the first and second world wars. Built in 1820, St. George’s Cathedral houses exquisite galleries, and the city’s botanical garden is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

Explore this lush, beautiful island and its bustling capital. Visit the historic La Toc Battery, see banana plantations, and watch silk screening at Bagshaws. Venture south to Soufriere at the base of the Piton peaks and see the unique gingerbread architecture of the marketplace. Take a bike ride through the rain forest to a lovely waterfall, kayak in the deep blue Caribbean, snorkel or dive to spectacular reefs.

Tucked along the island’s western shore, Fort-de-France is a Francophile’s tropical dream city. French architecture such as the Cathédral St-Louis graces the downtown, the beaches exude a joie de vivre, and several French-built forts perch atop the promontories. All roads lead to La Savane, a serene central park overseen by a statue of Empress Josephine.

Experience the natural wonders of this lush, unspoiled island, from the beautiful Emerald Pool and dense rainforest to spectacular vistas and rare plants and birds. Spend some time snorkeling or try ocean kayaking. Take an aerial tram through the tree canopy near Boiling Lake. Or go on a search for whales and dolphins.

Take a scenic drive, enjoy panoramic island views and visit famed Nelson’s Dockyard. Go deep-sea fishing or off road to interesting seaside villages and see the fragile mangrove ecosystem. Play golf, enjoy snorkeling and sea kayaking, or just spend the day relaxing on a fabulous white sand beach.

Tour this beautiful island and marvel at the rugged coastline and its unspoiled, upscale atmosphere, unique in the Caribbean for its Swedish and French heritage. Enjoy the spectacular beaches and resorts, snorkel or dive in the crystalline waters, or see underwater wonders from a semi-submersible marine vessel.

Begin in Old San Juan, a walled enclave of hundreds of restored 16th and 17th century Spanish colonial buildings. Notice the blue-tinged cobblestone streets; they were once ballast on Spanish ships. Elsewhere, tour the medieval Saint John the Baptist Cathedral, the Museum of Art, and Casa del Libro, a repository of priceless documents.

Christopher Columbus dubbed the peak overlooking the town Monte de Plata due to the silvery hue of its cloud cover, but the region is actually best known for its abundant amber deposits. View ancient fossils and insects encased for millions of years in this translucent, hardened sap at the Amber Museum, stroll among vividly painted Victorian mansions and then take a cable car to the 2,600-foot summit of Pico Isabel de Torres for glorious views of the entire Amber Coast. At the superbly preserved 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, look out to sea and imagine an onslaught of pirates eager to plunder the town’s treasures. Fortunately, today you need not cannonade Puerto Plata from a frigate to access its myriad attractions.

Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone on the island of Grand Bahama of the northwest Bahamas. In 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests in Grand Bahama

People-watchers will enjoy South Beach’s Ocean Drive, while architecture buffs will love the Art Deco District. If you’re looking for something a bit different, there are world-class museums and shopping venues too. In Miami, there really is something for everyone.